Pages

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

This is Hershey. He is a Jack Russell Terrier mix
born to Sooner, a Jack Russell Terrier.

Hershey is looking for his furever home.

He currently lives in the North Texas area. He is a Jack Russell Terrier mix. His mother, Sooner, is a Jack Russell Terrier. Sooner and her two sons, Hershey & Brutus, live at my neighbor's house. The puppies were unexpected & they cannot keep them all.

Hershey was born 10/20/10. He is mostly white with some black spots that may darken with age.
He's very affectionate, will curl up & cuddle with you. Loves to play. Loves children. Lives with 1 child under 10 & 1 under 5. As said, he also lives with his brother, as well as a kitten that's apprx 9 mos old.

He's very sweet & hoping someone out there has a special place in their heart & their home for him & all his love.

Since I introduced everyone to Harley, I wanted to introduce y'all to the rest of The Outside Guys.

Harley
Everyone has met Harley, who just went through a life altering surgery. He, I am happy to say, is no longer a part of this group. It was decided, by the non-cat loving person in the house, Harley will now be a welcomed member of The Critter Gang, of course some members of The Critter Gang are trying to adjust to this new change. Interestingly, Bonnie is really the only hold out. I think she feels infringed upon. Being the baby, she wants all the attention to herself, with a new guy in the mix, she just wants to know she's still all that. Harley, on the other hand, is having to try to cope with getting use to so many cats around and dogs. Yes, the dogs are quite interested in him, but he wants nothing to do with them, throwing a hissy fit, literally, every time one is near him. We, on the other hand, are awaiting the blending. I am sure it will take a few weeks to... well, whenever. It has taken up to a couple months in the past.

Moving on...

Devil
Devil is a left over kitty from my neighbor; he was named by my neighbor's children for the Tasmanian Devil. He has also been referred to as "you little devil". He has always been outside, but this past year was traumatic. My neighbors went through a divorce, where the wife left. She was the caretaker of all the outside cats. Her husband, who is still my neighbor, is not a cat person, but did try to feed them. Unfortunately, with the work hours he kept and not being around, the cats, one by one, left. Harley is one of those cats, but he too left for a time. Devil, a mainstay for 8-10 years never left, but had no where really to go. I started feeding Devil in late spring because he was starting to get real thin and scraggly. Once he began to have regular meals again, his weight started coming back. He began to hang around more. I started to try to keep him cool during the hot Texas summer and find him some relief with food, water and shelter. In August, I pulled some money together to bring him to the vet to have him tested for FIV & FeLV. Since I was handling him a lot, I needed to know; so, I would know how to handle him and not infect The Critter Gang. Unfortunately, Devil tested positive for FIV. Fortunately, he tested negative for FeLV. By fall, I managed to get him a Petmate Indigo Dogloo. As colder weather approached, I filled the Dogloo with an old bed The Critter Gang cats had used and some old blankets. Devil is the territorial male who defends his area well. He is a sweet Maine Coon mix who follows you like a puppy dog. He comes to his name and will sit in your lap for a morning or evening nap. I sit with him often after everyone has been fed breakfast & supper meals.

Bobby
Bobby is a dark gray/black tabby with a sort of bobbed tail; hence, his name. I grew tired of just describing him as the bobbed tailed one; so, I gave him the name Bobby. How original! Bobby started coming around, probably, about 2 years ago on and off. He is a scrapper and used to get into fights with many of the outdoor cats that use to hang around my neighbor's & my place. I am sure he came for the food left out and the females.

[There were other males like Harley's brother, Jake, who is Bonnie's father, and Taz, who is either the brother or son of Devil. I last saw Jake on Mother's Day 2010. He had a severe bite would on his hip from Bobby. I tried to tend it & it seemed to be healing. I wonder, though, if Devil is FIV positive, if Bobby is also FIV positive. In the case of Jake & Bobby's fight, it is possible Jake may have contracted the illness. Taz usually disappears during the summer and comes back during the winter. He has not returned this year. He, too, may be FIV positive, as I believe he may be the one who gave it to Devil.]

Back to Bobby... Bobby now stays mostly at a distance from Devil. There's an old van here I have placed another old cat bed in. I give him water and food there, as well. I don't know if he uses the bed because I rarely see him. He comes around, mostly at night and in the early morning. I know he's there because for one, I see him from time to time slinking to the van, and two, because his food is gone. Occasionally, a possum or field mice come into the van to finish the food Bobby has left, but I can tell when they have been there. Mouse poo and the possum makes the food & water bowls dirty. I saw the possum once. The closest Bobby let me come is about 40-50 feet. I zoomed in and took his picture. The picture here is the best one I have of him. He's very elusive and shy around people.

Bonnie, the little Siamese with the black & white parents, is growing up fast. She turned 9 months old December 14th & was spayed on December 15th. What a way to celebrate her 9 month birthday!

Special thanks to Noah's Ark Animal Shelter in Gainesville, Texas for offering low cost spay vouchers and to the staff of All About Pets Animal Hospital where Dr Wendy Rhoads performed the coming of age surgery for Bonnie.

Of course, in typical Bonnie, aka Bon Bon, fashion, she was up to her usual antics in no time. Keeping this little wild cat quiet for any length of time is quite a chore. By the next day, she was running at top speed through the house with at least 2 cats on her heels followed by me trying to keep her calm.

Harley would like to thank all those who contributed to his medical expenses.

A very generous young man, teenager really, came forward. I say young man because his actions speak more of the man he is becoming than the teenager he is. When he saw Harley's needs, he put aside his own wants and desires. Money that was to be used to buy him a Christmas gift, he instead wanted donated to help Harley get the medical attention he needed. To this generous young man, Harley says "meow mew" {thank you}!

Now, a little info regarding Harley's vet visit...

Harley was tested for FIV & FeLV. Both tests came back NEGATIVE. This means, of course, he does not have these two dreaded kitty diseases. He is a healthy 18 month old kitty.

Harley was neutered and will no longer have to worry about those male kitty things: hunting females, protecting his territory, spraying stuff he calls his, fighting off other males, etc.

Harley did have ear mites, tape worm and, of course, the dreaded fleas; so, he had to be treated for these. A dose of Drontal took care of all wormy issues, an ear cleaning while he napped and a dose of Revolution for the ear mites & fleas, which by the way, I found out also takes care of roundworms & hookworms... who knew!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Hi, y'all... Harley thought y'all might want to see where he spends most of his time.

The entrance to the bus Harley stays in.

This is an old handicapped city bus that's used as a storage/work shop by someone who claims to not like cats. However, Harley has begun to win him over.

The doors on the bus have to be propped open because the wind blows them shut. Until I realized it, Harley would get locked outside of in the cold. Temperatures have been dropping at night to the high 20s & low to mid 30s lately. We've had freezing rains and winds over the past week... and it's only December. We are expecting colder weather next week. December is usually a very windy, rainy month with very cold nights.

Come January, we usually get frigid ice storms. I have already had to dump frozen water bowls; so, I can imagine what January is going to bring.

Harley eating breakfast
with his bed in the foreground.

I am hoping to have Harley neutered by the middle of December. I am also keeping faith that after he is neutered he will feel comfortable enough to bunk with one of the other male cats, Devil or Bobby. Bobby's feral, however; so, I don't know if any of them will bunk with him. I rarely see Bobby; I just know he comes and goes.

The second picture is of the area inside the bus where Harley eats & sleeps. The bed is an old cat bed lined with a blanket. He has a little handmade Animal Cracker toy I made for him that he likes to play with.

The bus does stay a little warmer than the outside temps and the windows allow him to sun in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon. Yet, I still find leaves and seed heads to the long grasses inside... yes, even all the way to where his bed is, which is almost to the back of the bus.

Oh, yeah, there is also a roll around chair he likes to sit in.

All he really wants is to be loved and cared for; so, I am trying to provide a little comfort and compassion for him.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Harley is one of three stray/feral cats I try to care for. I provide fresh water and food for him.
I am working on getting him his own shelter, but until then he is currently staying in an old bus. He has an old cat bed and some blankets to snuggle in during the cold nights we have been having recently.

I am trying to raise some funds to help get Harley some medical attention. There are 3 things I am hoping to provide for him...
1. Testing for FIV & FeLV (see below)
2. Vaccinations
3. Neutering to stop any territorial male stuff, as well as mating, which will in turn stop producing any unwanted litters.

Cat overpopulation is a big problem many urban, suburban and rural areas are trying to cope with. Another issue many are trying to cope with is the spread of feline diseases, which can be highly contagious and sometimes deadly. Some of these deadly diseases are transmitted through territorial males fighting.

If we can prevent the mating of males & females, we can put a stop to unwanted litters of kittens. According to the ASPCA, 5-7 million companion animals enter shelters each year. Of these, 3-4 million are euthanized. Approximately, 70% of all cats/kittens relinquished by owners or picked up by animal control are euthanized, which means 7 out of 10 cats/kittens are euthanized. Of course, the percentage is a nationwide percentage and may vary by actual location. According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP) less than 2% of cats are reunited with their owners. In addition, only about 10% of the animals received by shelters are spayed or neutered. It has been estimated there are up to 70 million stray cats nationwide. A cat can have, on average, 1-2 litters per year of about 4-6 kittens.

Neutering the male is half the battle of trying to control these numbers.

An un-neutered male also becomes territorial, as he searches for a female to mate with. These un-neutered males will fight when they come in contact with each other, be it trespassing into another's territory or for the mating rights with a female in the area. This fighting brings on illness and transfers highly contagious diseases from one male to another.
Two of these highly contagious diseases are deadly...
1. FIV or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, which is the feline equivalent of HIV. FIV, like HIV, can become AIDS, in this case known as Feline AIDS.
2. FeLV or Feline Leukemia Virus, which can lead to other ailments such as lymphoma - a cancer of the lymph system.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Howdy, my dearest critter friends & friends of critters, I have a new booth on Bonanza.com.

The new booth features handmade / handcrafted dog and cat toys and blankets and/or beds. The toys and the blankets are made of washable fleece. Some of the toys have cords on them for dangling, dragging or tying to a stationary object. The cords are made of either 100% cotton or 100% polyester depending on supplier and availability. The blankets are hand-tied, not sewn. They are soft, warm and double thick, usually with critter themes. They can either be used as blankets for small animals or beds for small dogs or cats to lie on. I do plan to offer larger blankets for larger dogs. In the meantime, if you need a larger blanket, please contact me through my booth and let me know what size you need.

In the future, I hoping to offer handmade Martingale collars. They are similar to chain choke collars, but without the chain and the choke. They are better for dogs with smaller heads than necks, as well as dogs with sensitive throats. Hopefully, I will be able to offer them before Christmas or, at least, before the new year.

I already have some original toys listed:

Alley Cat Knapsack

Crazy Cattails

Catfish Catch

Please stop by the booth and check out the really cool toys and great blankets atwww.bonanza.com/paws4critters2
or... click the box on the right that goes directly to the booth!

Dusty & Sandy's mother, Mama Kitty had a litter of kittens under the house.
It is believed another black & white cat, Jake, is Bonnie's father.

Bonnie, who has acquired the nick name Bon Bon, is the purrrfect example of "yeah, it looks like a purebred, but... nope, think again!" Don't be so quick to think you have a purebred anything. Bonnie is proof you can look like a pedigree, but you are far from it. If you have a stray that looks like a purebred, chances are a combination of breeds have fooled you. If Bonnie had been found without knowing who her parents were, the assumption would have been made that at least one of her parents was a full blood Siamese. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although she was born outside and essentially stray, her parentage is known.

Bonnie's parents are BOTH black & white... one short hair and one long hair. Both black & white cats have some sort of Oriental cat in their ancestry. Since we cannot figure out if she is a Chocolate or a Seal Point Siamese, I have decided to call her a Penguin Point Siamese! The wrinkled up faces with question marks surrounding them will be hysterical!

Jake is a grandson of Mama Kitty from a litter she had with a short haired cat. Jake is a black and white short haired cat who's features are very Siamese or some Oriental cat breed. Of course, remember, Mama Kitty has some Oriental cat breed in her as well, whether it's Siamese or Himalayan or something else, as many of her kittens either feature Oriental points or appearance by features such as long tail, pointy nose, etc.

Hershey found Bonnie under one of the back decks. After trying to rescue her by pawing at the wood plank step, he allowed me to remove the plank with a drill. I pulled her out and he began fawning over her trying to pick her up and carry her around like she was his.

It is estimated Bonnie was born around March 14th, 2010.

Bonnie loves playing with her half siblings, Dusty & Sandy, to whom she has become very close.

About Bonnie's name... Bonnie Blu is the name of the daughter Rhett Butler & Scarlett O'Hara of Gone with the Wind. Bonnie Blu was chosen when Bonnie was approx 1-1/2 months old. It was believed at the time she was a blue point Siamese. It was later found a seal point Siamese can sometimes be mistaken for a blue point when young. Because she also has Tabby features (stripes on her fore-legs), as well as her parents being all black & white, she does not totally fit the seal point Siamese. She seems to also fit the chocolate point Siamese. Her color point is a mystery. She is getting dark enough, though, to conclude she just may well lean towards a seal point Siamese. So, her Bonnie Blu is representative of her captivating blue eyes, which are ever so slightly crossed... or, of course, they just may be set too close together.

Here are some of her favorite pics...

Hi, I am from Australia... NOT!
My imitation of a koala bear.

Do you see it?
Can you see the end of my tongue?
How 'bout that punchy bag thingy?

My halo... don't you see it?
A purrrrfect angel!

Look deep into my eyes...
Now, open the can of tuna fish and put it in front of me.

Silver Sands or 'Sandy' is named for her silvery gray color. She is a light gray calico, as she has a slight tan sandy color mixed into her silvery gray.

Sandy's mother is believe to be the same as Dusty's... Mama Kitty, a long haired black and white cat.
Sandy's father is believed to be, yes, again, the same as Dusty's... either Devil or Taz.
This is supported by the fact Dusty had a sister in his litter that was colored almost exactly like Sandy.

Sandy was born approx. October 8th, 2009.

We 'rescued' her from about 5 males in the area. When she was about 5 months old, she started showing signs of possibly reaching adulthood, as these males followed her everywhere she went. She tried to hide but to no avail. Most folks thought she may have become pregnant with this ordeal when the males began to leave her alone.

Sandy at 6 mos when she lived outside

Not so. The following month was more of the same. Once again, she was trying to fend off the advances of these males.

Sandy, however, had no desire for any of them. All she could think of was playing. She would try to play with anything from a leaf to a small stone or twig. She would play until one of the males tried to have their way with her. When the torment of the males came to be too much, it was decided to take her in and give her a home away from the advances of the outdoor males.

Once inside, Sandy settled right in. Being only 6 months younger than Dusty, the two hit it off. Dusty had already been neutered; so, all he wanted to do was play. He taught her how to have fun playing indoors. Within months, Sandy was spayed. She never really wanted anything but to be able to play like a kitten.

Now, all she ever does... all her waking moments... are spent playing and having a good time.

Oh, hi... just tryin' ta make this box bigger;
you shoulda seen it when I started!

She has never given any indication that she even misses being outside. It is as if she was meant to be a playful kitten forever.

Sandy recently had her 1st birthday and has not slowed down. All she wants to do is have fun. Along with Dusty and a new kitten, Bonnie, she is all play!

(Note: Sandy & Dusty are probably brother and sister; however, they are of different litters. Bonnie is their half sister.)

During the night, Copper went outside. After being out for quite a while, he was called in.
He would not come. Not to worry; he almost never comes when he is called.

It is always good to know your dogs' personalities. Maverick also was outside. When he was called in, he, too, would not come. This was totally unlike Maverick. He obeys quite well.

When Maverick would not respond, I knew something was up. However, I had no idea nor did I even imagine the scene I was about to walk up on. I assumed something bad... coyotes, perhaps, had their attention.

Dusty @ 1 month old

No... Copper had a small kitten upside down. I couldn't tell if he had watched Hershey try to pick kittens up or if he thought the tiny 'mews' coming from the kitten was equivalent to the squeaker in a squeak toy. If he figured the latter, then, my thoughts were is he trying to catch a kitten or pull the squeaker and stuffing from the kitten's belly. I wondered if Copper even understood what he had and what he was doing.

My first thought was to separate Copper and the kitten. As I pushed Copper out of the way, I realized there was blood on the kittens hair. Fearing Copper had done damage to the small kitten, I took the kitten inside for a quick exam.

Maverick stood by watching trying to figure out if he could get in on the act.

As it turned out, the kitten was not bleeding; he only had blood on him. Copper, on the other hand, had a bloody nose and mouth. In trying to pick the kitten up or pull the stuffing out, the kitten used his claws to scratch Copper enough to make him bleed.

Dusty's mother is a long haired black and white cat. What breed gives her the long hair is unknown, but one theory is Himalayan, as Dusty has Himalayan points similar to that of a Siamese. A Himalayan could very well be a long haired Siamese, or at least, I think so!

Dusty's father is one of two Maine Coon mixes, Devil or Taz, who is either Devil's brother or son.

ha ha... you funny lookin' wit camera stuck to face!
Dusty @ 1 year

Over time, Dusty has been found to possibly have seizures from having toxoplasmosis.
Yes, the same disease/illness doctors warn pregnant women about telling them not to clean the litter box while they are pregnant. The illness can infect cats as well and lead to seizures. Dusty has difficulty breathing when cradled in one's arms like a baby. He also has breathing problems when he purrs. Sometimes, thankfully infrequently, if he ends up sleeping on his back or if he falls asleep with his neck bent, he again has breathing problems. Sometimes he throws his head from side to side, becomes frantic wanting to be put down and acts as if he is gasping for breath.

He is not on any medication at the moment, but his condition is monitored. If he begins having these symptoms more often, his vet will be consulted.

All in all, Dusty is a real sweetheart staying by your side at almost all times.

To say Hershey loves cats would be an understatement. The dog seeks them out. If he were female, I believe he would mother them.

Katy's mother was a feral black cat. Her father, well, it is believed he was a Siamese who escaped from a neighbor's house. Sadly, the Siamese male lost his battle with the 70 mph highway that runs in front of our property. We saw the feral mother for a couple of years, but then she vanished.

So, how did Hershey rescue this half feral kitten? It seems critters seem to find the underneath of our house the perfect nursery! Several cats have given birth under the house, as well as a skunk. Unfortunately, it is believed the skunk met the same fate as Katy's father. The baby skunks, at least one, did not fair well either, as it's tiny body was found at the edge of the house... maybe it wandered when mom didn't come back. It was buried in the Paws4Critters Cemetery guarded by St Francis.

Singin' in the Rain

On a happier note, Katy seems to have been the inquisitive kitten in her mother's litter. She wandered out from underneath the house and into the back yard. One night, while eating supper, Hershey repeatedly asked to go outside. He was told to 'go lay down', but he persisted. At this same time, we thought we saw someone walk across the deck. Not like a real person, but more like a shadow. When Hershey was finally let out, he searched the deck frantically. When we went to see what he was looking for, Hershey turned around with a little black & white kitten in his mouth. Being he has retriever in him, he carefully held the tiny kitten in his mouth.

To this day, it is believed the shadowy figure was one of two beings... St Francis of Assisi, who, of course, is the patron saint of critters, with a special delivery or, perhaps, God, delivering a blessing in a furry bundle!

We took Katy inside and cleaned the Hershey slobber from her. Her unmistakable 'Joker' smile led to the idea to call her Joker; however, saner minds prevailed. Instead, we went with the black & white theme.

With Cindy named for cinders and Ashley for ashes, we searched high and lo for a suitable name to go with the two fire-related names of Cindy & Ashely. We came across St Catherine of Siena, who is the patroness against fire. We didn't want to give her such an aristocratic name as Catherine because of her Joker smile and feral beginnings. It just didn't seem to fit. So, Catherine was shortened to Katy, which was spelled as such because of the close proximity to the Katy RR lines, by which we live. The Rose portion of her name was in honor of the rosary.

Katy doing her Kilroy impression!

Interestingly, for a cat with a totally religious name, I seriously believe she heard us laugh and toy with the name Joker. I also believe she is fully aware her name as it is spelled, Katy, is the name of a locomotive. If she could have a sinister laugh, she would laugh similarly to the Joker, as she barrels through the house like a freight train!

She still has a feral-ness about her. She refuses to allow anyone to touch her feet... cutting her nails will send you to the hospital, or at least to the bathroom for antiseptics and bandages! She has finally allowed us to at least pet her. We have been working hard on that; however, her vicious attacks are still unpredictable and unwarranted, at least in our eyes. She can be calm one minute and lash out in an instant. Still, she is a sweetheart and we love her!

She also has an oddity about her... she does not purr!

I have never heard of a domestic cat, regardless of her being half feral, not purring. I believe she was born without a 'purr box'. How is it that a cat does not or cannot purr. Never heard of such a thing.

Monday, August 9, 2010

This ebook was written from a dog owners point of view for other dog owners. Written in a simple, easy to understand format with real life information from Chico, my mom's diabetic Chihuahua. This ebook will help anyone dealing with a diabetic dog.

Important information covered in this ebook ranges from recognizing symptoms to emergency conditions such as ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia. There is also a section on how to choose a veterinarian. I have also indcluded some links at the end for further reference and reading. For more on what is covered, please see the table of contents image (below right).

I have included a screen shot of Chapter 1: Recognizing the Symptoms as an example of the ebook's style and information.

Special page on how I got/get Chico to eat when he refused or still refuses, which he does from time to time.

Delivered electronically withing 24 hours via email. Weekends & holidays may take a little longer. Because shipping is electronic via email, there is no shipping fees.

The ebook format is in Adobe .pdf; so, you will need to have Adobe Reader.
It is 27 pages from start to finish.
It is approx. 645 kb.

Actual screen shot of the Table of Contents

A sample of the ebook, a screen shot of the Chapter 1 Recognizing The Symptoms

Ebook Reviews...

This is absolutely wonderful and so well written. It is so complete with information, yet written simply enough for Joe Shmoo to understand. I can't find anything to pick apart about it. And so necessary now, people are letting their pets get obese and the problem is increasing... Anyway, so well done.

All I can say is WOW... very well written with many well talked about information. This book brought back memories of a dog my mom and dad had that became diabetic and by the time they found out it was too late. I have to say you did a wonderful job of explaining everything you should know from the symptoms to vets to treatments. I highly commend you for the wonderful work you have done.

Oh, my. I have just finished reading your book more carefully/thoroughly. It is very informative and awesome! I do like the brown informational boxes about specifics of your fur baby. Your 'Forward' to your book is great and very touching. I have 3 dogs and a cat, so have done reading on fur-babies quite a bit. I would have to say your e-book is very professional and informative. I give you an A+ and a hug for all of your efforts in your book.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Chico was born December 5th, 1998.
The very day after Snoopy passed away.
His parents Lil Bit & Peanut lived next door.

My neighbors were trying to sell the litter of pups, but unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for us, Chico was too big for his breed.

It seems, Chico's daddy, Peanut, was a little 4 pound pedigree Chihuahua who had a gene that came from his much larger ancestral breeds. Because of this larger dog gene, all the puppies he fathered were larger than officially acceptable by Chihuahua standards.

And so, my neighbors, having trouble selling the round little burrito of a pup with the Dino bark, brought the little fella here. A secondary benefit was they could watch him grow up.

Chico has very long legs and stands about a foot or more tall. His heaviest weight, and a little overweight unfortunately, was 29 pounds. When he became sick with diabetes, he dropped to as low as 16 pounds. He has yo-yo'd back and forth between 16 & 19 pounds since being diagnosed, but lately has evened out at a very round 19-20 pounds. His heftiness from birth has lead to the nicknames 'Chub Chub' and 'Chico Burrito'.

As for that Dino bark... well, think back to the Flinstones cartoon and Dino their dinosaur 'dog'. He barks just like him; so, he has also earned the nickname... Dino!

In August of 2007, Chico began showing symptoms of diabetes; however, due to the summer heat, we believed he was drinking more because of the hot, humid Texas summer. Because he was drinking more, he also was beginning to ask to go outside to urinate more. We again just attributed it to him drinking more because it was so hot. After all, it was August in Texas.
By the end of August, the excessive drinking & urinating really caught our attention. Chico was brought in to see his vet. He was officially diabetic.

He was started on Vetsulin. He was to begin getting injections, 'shots', of insulin 2x per day.

At first, he didn't fair to well. Later in the evening, after the first injection, which had been administered by his vet, he began vomiting, and lost his appetite and began showing other signs of ketoacidosis.

He was rushed to the emergency vet clinic some many miles away. They immediately checked his sugar/glucose levels and ran some other tests. The verdict: ketoacidosis. He began an IV of insulin to get his sugar/glucose levels under control. He spent the rest of the night at the emergency vet clinic. When Chico's vet reopened the next morning, he was rushed from the emergency vet clinic to his usual vet, who allowed Chico to come home.

Chico's vet admitted he only had one other diabetic patient, who was controlled. Chico's diabetes was extremely difficult to control leaving him dumbfounded as to how to handle it. The vet recommended we take Chico to a specialist. The specialist was, like the emergency vet clinic, some many miles away.

We took Chico to the specialist vet, who kept Chico for a day and night. Chico was fed, his sugar/glucose levels were monitored and he was given insulin during the day. After being brought somewhat under control, Chico was allowed to go home.

These first few months were quite daunting. We were sure Chico would not live through the next year. We were all but told that by our regular vet. We were told his sugar/glucose levels were never going to be under control because some dogs are difficult that way, and Chico was going to be one of the difficult ones.

By the time Chico's sugar/glucose levels again became a problem, we had switched vets. Chico's new vet, Dr Wendy Rhoads, seemed to have more experience with diabetic dogs, as she herself had a diabetic dog. In her eyes, Chico's diabetes should be under control. Dr. Rhoads worked at getting Chico's diabetes under control.

It has now been 3 years since Chico's diagnosis.
He has lost some of his hair, which has led to his need for a sweater on chilly nights when he goes outside.
His vision isn't what it used to be. He has difficulty seeing in the house when he just comes in from a bright outside. In the past several weeks, he has become a little more nervous outside at night leading him to go outside and just bark at whatever he hears.

All in all, we are very grateful to be enjoying his friendship 3 years into a diabetes diagnosis, in addition to, on December 5th of this year, his turning 12 years old.

Maverick is named for the character Maverick.
Since Bart & Bret were already used, he wanted a really cool name; so, because of his coloring, he decided on Dusty. Besides, Dusty sounds like a good ol' western name!

Maverick is not named for the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, as most people assume when they meet him.

Maverick is believed to have at least Border Collie and Great Pyrenees in him, but we all know now what a critter looks like may not be what they truly are.

As to the title of this post, Maverick is the guardian of everything. If you have seen the cartoon of the Old English Sheepdog & the wolf, you will know what I mean. The two go to work, punch their time cards and begin their day. The Old English Sheepdog sits in his stoic guard dog position. The wolf dresses like a sheep and tries various ways to sneak in amongst the herd and steal a sheep. Well, as you can see by Maverick's pic, he sits and he guards. In his younger days, he could sit like this for quite some time. We have built in benches on the deck, just behind him in this pic, where he usually sits and watches. It's all he does. Inside, he will lay in doorways where he can see most of the house at once or with the turn of his head.

If you've ever wondered what happens to the "Wal-mart dogs", wonder no more. What? You don't know what a "Wal-mart dog" is? Well, you know those folks that sit in the parking lot with a crate or box full of puppies and a sign: "puppies for sale". We've all seen them. They look real cute, but who would get a dog from these people?

Well, according to the old man who had Maverick, he did. Here's how I came by Maverick.

In December of 2000, an old man, as I am told, had his van towed to the shop my brother worked at as a mechanic.
Because he had no where to stay, they took him to a shelter. The shelter would not take the man's new 6 week old puppy he just got in the Wal-mart parking lot; so, the man left the puppy in the van.
The owner of the shop took him home the first night. My brother brought him here the second night.
I was to take care of him until the man's van was fixed. It turns out the van was not fixable. The man was told.
He did not show up to claim the puppy.
About two months or more later, the man finally came back tot he shop with a very small car. He asked the guys at the shop for his puppy, the one he left in the van and never once called about or checked on.
Because the man never came by for the puppy, never inquired about the puppy for so many months, they tried to talk the man out of taking the puppy back. At first, the man refused, but the guys offered him $50, which is, from what I understand, what he paid for the puppy. He agreed, took the $50 and left.

Of course, hind-site being 20/20, this was probably for the best.

Maverick has a long double coat which requires extensive grooming and clipping to keep it well managed during the summer time in Texas. The cutting also helps keep him cool, as it takes the heavy weight off of him, as well as keeps hot spots to a minimum. He has allergies to almost everything he touches from grasses and weeds to ragweed and cedar pollen. He has chronic yeast infections in his ears because they flop to close to his head. He has had an ear resection in both ears to try to open his ears a bit more to allow more air flow, but this did not work. Yeast infections are caused by moisture in enclosed areas that are constantly warm. Because Maverick is always hot with all his hair in Texas, dampness sets in and yeast infections soon follow. Rainy season is the worst. He also, from time to time, gets yeast infections between his toes and has been on medication to eliminate the infections. He has joint issues in his knees, as he suffers from ACL, anterior cruciate ligament, problems. This is a problem more well known to athletes. It can be helped with dogs, but it has to be done when the injury occurs. If you wait, the injury leads to arthritis and cannot be corrected properly or with good results.

Maverick is tri-colored being mostly white with tan and black markings. He has chocolate brown eyes, and he knows how to use them to get what he wants. He self-taught himself to shake hands. When he wants you to not make him do something or you are mad at him, he will try to shake your hand, as if to plea with you to stop forcing him to do what he doesn't want to do or to please forgive him and not be mad at him anymore. It is heart-melting! Gotta love him; he's a real sweetheart!

How do you catch a stray dog?
Some simply call it to them.
Some use a trap.
Some offer food.

When my brother & his co-workers at an auto repair shop saw Tiffany, they offered her food. Hamburgers, I think. She refused, as her trust in humans was non-existent. She would only run and grab the food when they were not nearby. She then ate it under nearby cedar trees.

Finally, after weeks of trying, on January 26, 2002, she cautiously approached and ate the food they offered while they were there leading to their catching her.

When she was brought to the vet, she tested positive for heartworm.
She was immediately put on a heartworm treatment program to kill the heartworm.
The heartworm treatment takes some time and offers no promises.
Tiffany was lucky. She survived her heartworm ordeal.

The vet guessed her to be about 2 years old and obviously a mother, at least once.

Her breed was a whole other story.
People have speculated about what she is from the first time anyone laid eyes on her.
The obvious, a Finnish Spitz, probably means she doesn't have an ounce of it in her, as I later found out with another new addition, a kitten now named Bonnie. You'll just have to come back to read about her and why I now know... just because a critter looks like a specific breed doesn't mean it is!

Some believe, because she has one small black spot on her tongue and her red color can only mean she has Chow Chow in her.

Her foxy appearance also leads one to make the assumption she is a coy-dog, coyote dog mix. I am not so sure about this, as I have heard you can not have a coyote or a coy-dog with cats. Coyotes & cats are supposedly mortal enemies because you cannot stop a coyote from thinking of a cat as prey. Well, Tiffany absolutely loves cats. So much so, she thinks she can mother the kittens and play with all of them. Her favorites are Punkin, Dusty (not yet bio-ed here) and the newest addition, Bonnie (also not yet bio-ed here).

Another guess is possibly something along the lines of a Sheltie.

After knowing the parents of Bonnie and seeing what pure breed she appears to be, I would be curious to know the parentage of each of the critters, as I have often wondered "what's in them"!
To know just what I am speaking of, you will just have to keep checking back for when I get little Bonnie listed. I can say this, she is the newest member of The Critter Gang and there are 5 critters in front of her waiting for their bio's.

As for Tiffany, she has made some social improvements, but I don't get to give her a lot of one on one with so many critters. She does walk a little on a leash, but she still panics near parked cars causing her to try to scoot under them to hide. She is still very skittish with noises and unexplained things. She has improved on her human contact though. A huge improvement, as she will actually come out to visit with people who come over. She still has a hard time on linoleum floors. She has learned how to take a treat (human food) from a fork.

A little more than a year after the first miracle a second miracle landed right in front of my truck on May 30, 2002.

On that day, I was headed home from work on the same US Hwy I scooped Amber up on.
I was a little closer to town though this time.

As I just entered town, a small kitten, about 7-8 wks old, bounced off the driver's door of a truck going the opposite direction. My first thought was "I can't believe this person just threw this kitten out the driver's window in front of me".

Dumbfounded, I have played that scene over and over in head year after year.

I quickly pulled over and stopped. Almost without looking, I ran out to the center of the road to try to catch this little kitten. She, obviously, was in no mood to be caught and plopped back into another truck.

As I, bent over, chased this little kitten all about the road's center stripe, I unwittingly had stopped traffic into town... 2, 3 and at least 4 cars just going into town and at least one leaving town. After what seemed like forever, I finally caught the little kitten.

I got back in the truck, placed her in my lap and drove home.

She didn't appear to have any injuries, but I made an appt with my vet to check her out.
She was fine.

Whenever I tell this story, the usual response from people is "did you report the guy?"
Well, um... no, I did not. I don' t even know if the person was a man or a woman.
I barely knew what color the truck was. I only know it was white because it was coming in the opposite direction, and I had a good long time to see the color. No I did not stop to get the plate number. I was locked in on "get the kitten out of the middle of the road before someone comes and runs it over". It was my top priority. Dealing with the other driver was not. Besides, how would I prove what I just saw?

The other question I get is "how do you know the person threw the cat out the window?"
I, too, have often asked myself this question, thinking maybe I was wrong.

Here's the conclusion I reached as to how I am not wrong...

1. Pearl was 7-8 wks old... approx. 2 mos old.
2. I saw her bounce off the driver's door?
3. If she was already on the ground, how did I see her bounce off the driver's door?
4. If she was already on the ground and was hit, how could she bounce high enough off the ground to hit the driver's door?
5. Critters don't bounce.
6. If she was already on the ground and was hit, she would have been run over and died. She was 2 mos old.7. Maybe she jumped out the window. If she jumped out the window because the driver was holding her, wouldn't the driver stop and pick her up? Seriously, I would.

So, the only explanation I can understand is she was thrown from the truck.

When I tell this story, I met with total disbelief. People always reply "I have heard of that happening but never knew it actually did happen."

I often have thought I should have spelled her name Purrl, but I spelled it Pearl in honor of Minnie Pearl, of whom I was and am a huge fan.
Pearl is a silver, tan & white Tabico, Tabby/Calico, leaning more toward the Calico.
She has large round green eyes.
She has been such a sweetheart of a miracle.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

February 6, 2001 was a devastating day for Amber, but also the day she experienced a miracle, as did we!
She was about 6 mos old when she was struck by a car on US Hwy 56 heading out of town.
Amber is a pale peach Tabby with white markings and light green eyes.
Obviously, her name comes from her color.

Living in a rural area has its ups and downs. One down is the constant reminder that humans often move in on rural critters... spring doesn't just bring forth flowers. Spring also brings forth young critters who cannot judge the speed of an oncoming vehicle. Many critters lives are ended on the roadside of our rural roads, highways and byways. Some get used to it, some don't see it... I always see them. I always say a prayer for each one of them.

On this particular day, we were on our way out of town headed to the vet to pick up Ashley, who had just been spayed. As usual, I noticed this little pale red Tabby lying in the shoulder of the road. It broke my heart to see her there. As we passed her, I looked over at her. In a rather animated motion, she lifted her head and turned it my way, as if to say "please, help me; don't leave me here." I screamed "stop, back up, turn around! It's alive!"

We turned around and headed back to where she lay. I always keep old sheets in the car to cover the seats when it's been raining and the dogs are muddy. I grabbed one of the sheets and ran to her. I scooped her up off the ground with no fear of her biting or scratching me. Jumping back into the car, we sped off to the vet.

She was bleeding from her mouth and her rear; so, we figured she would not make it. How could she? She was hit by a car. It was surprising she was still alive at all, really.

When we arrived at the vet, she was in shock. They took her to the back and started her on fluids. After a quick exam, it was discovered her tail/back bone was broken just above the base of the tail. They kept her on fluids for a couple days, as she could not handle surgery yet. When she was strong enough for surgery, her tail was removed. Further exam proved her only injuries were the broken tail/back bone, some missing front teeth, a tiny notch in her ear that soon fell off as it was covered in tar.

$200+ later, she had survived... a real miracle!
It would be the first miracle.

Years later, we found she had also suffered an injury to one of her eyes, as her pupils are no longer the same size. One eye does not see as well as the other. As one eye reacts normally to light becoming smaller, the other does not.

Today, she is a loving, affectionate kitty. She may not see all that well, but she is a good bug catcher. Her balance & jumping is a little off because of her eyes and the lack of a tail. Her rear where the break actually happened is still a little sensitive. She is a true blessing.

These 5 kittens will be forever known as "The Five Kittens".
They were born March 20, 2000.

My cousin accidentally ran over their mother, a Siamese mix, when the kittens were about 2 wks old.
Their father was a stray Tabby.

When my cousin decided to leave her husband quite quickly, our aunt, not her mother, told her she could not leave the kittens for fear her husband would do harm to them. She suggested putting them in a laundry basket and bringing them to me, as she knew I would take care of pretty much anything. Boy, way she right!

No sooner I laid eyes on these little 2 wk old kittens, I had fallen in love with them. They had names within the week! And, everyone knows... once you name'em, they're yours forever!

Because of their age, they had to be bottle fed. There was little sleep during this time, but the time seemed to speed by. In almost no time at all, they were being weened off the bottle and starting kitten food.

Unfortunately, in 2008, Mittens was the first of The Five Kittens to become seriously ill and pass away.
She is buried in the St Francis Paws4Critters Cemetery out behind the dogs' fenced in yard.

Here is a brief description of each of The Five Kittens...

Carmel Taffy

Taffy is a carmel colored Tabby with black tips and gorgeous green eyes. She looks like a smaller version of her sister, Mittens. She has the Siamese build, as she is the smallest of the group and barely weighs in at 9-10 pounds. She is the talker of the group... and the house. She will have a conversation with herself if no one else is inclined to listen! She loves dogs and will use them as a ladder to get where she wants. I have a photo of her "riding" on Hershey's back. Although her name is Carmel Taffy, she answers to Taffy, Taff & Taffarini (I have no idea if she has any Italian in her, but I do!)

Tammy Sue

Tammy Sue is a silver Tabby Siamese with beautiful blue eyes. She is the only one of the group that is cross-eyed. She doesn't let it bother her, as she is one of the best bug hunters. She takes after the Tabby with her build and is a fairly large cat at about 14 pounds.

Ted E Bear "Teddy"

Teddy is a Blue Point Siamese with some Tabby markings, albeit very slight markings.
He has the typical Siamese slim build with beautiful blue eyes against his silvery gray color offset by some white on his chest and toes. He loves the ladies even though he is neutered. He is affectionate and clingy. He suffers from separation anxiety when left without human companionship and will follow you everywhere once you return, making sure your attention is on him, and only him. In general, he is very shy around other people.
Teddy occasionally suffers from Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). This is a crystallization of urine in his urinary tract. These crystals can cause a blockage, which is extremely dangerous. The condition needs to be monitored and owners need to be aware of the symptoms. When symptoms occur, action must be taken immediately to rectify the problem. The number one symptom is difficulty urinating or not urinating at all. In Teddy's case, when I begin to realize he is having trouble urinating, I start him on vitamin C. He gets 1/4 of a 500mg chewable vitamin C tablet crushed and blended into his can food 2x's per day.The vitamin C helps his urine be more acidic. Interestingly, Teddy likes the watermelon flavored vitamin C. I give him the vitamin C in his food until he becomes fussy with eating his food with it in it, usually about 2 weeks.

Frosty for his icy blue eyes. Punkin because I was trying to grow Lumina Pumpkins the previous year, and then again the year he was born. Never did get them pumpkins to grow, but Punkin, boy did he ever grow! Weighing in at a hefty 26 pounds, he is the heaviest of The Five Kittens! Punkin is a Fire, Flame or Red Point Siamese with reverse Tabby markings. Reverse because he is white to cream with orange Tabby stripes, which are becoming darker as he gets older. He was the largest kitten and he never stopped growing. Taking after the Tabby build, his fiery points and killer icy blue eyes are the only hint at his Siamese background.
Because of his sister, Mittens, and Misty, who I spoke of in another post, I am leery of putting him on a diet, for fear of him losing too much too fast and turning his liver to fat. I have asked 2 vets how I could get him to lose weight safely. Both vets expressed the same concern as I do. Fatty liver disease in cats is extremely dangerous and putting him through losing the weight is not worth the alternative... death from fatty liver disease.
He does have a health issue because of his weight, and it must be kept under control. He has chronic constipation. Because he is so large and because he has never been that active a cat even when he was younger, he does not have regular bowel movements. When this occurs, it builds and builds in their bodies. The longer it sits; the harder it gets because of lack of water/moisture/fluid. This causes constipation. When he finally has the feeling to go, he can't. The first time it happened, the vet explained to us how to give him an enema. We use generic water-based enemas equal to Fleet brand. He gets 1/2 the bottle at one time and then wait. Sometimes, it takes 3 enemas. We know keep enemas on hand at all times as part of critter maintenance. In addition, he has been prescribed lactulose. This liquid draws fluid into the intestines and keeps his poo soft; so, he does not become constipated. It does work, and thank God he is not diabetic or lactose intolerant, as it is related to the milk sugar, lactose.
Recently, he once again had a severe constipation. I, again, took him to one of my vets. She took x-rays to make sure he did not have another condition, megacolon, which is another very serious condition. He did not have megacolon. I discussed what I could possibly do more than I already was with the vet. I told her he primarily eats dry cat food, but I have been trying to get him to eat more canned cat food. She said if he will not eat just canned cat food; then, he needed more fluid intake and more fiber. She suggested using a syringe filled with water several times per day to get him to drink more.This is because he has an issue with water. I do not know if he knows how to drink, as he paws at the water to spill some out on the floor. He, then, drinks off the floor. I have a plastic tray under the water now because of it. It seems he copied Gizzy, who I already posted, with his drinking. Gizzy used to drink by pawing at the water, as he was used to having the old Coke bottle waterers, where you have a bowl that fits a Coke bottle upside down in it. It releases water as the bowl empties. Gizzy knew the water in the bottle was fresher; so, he would paw at the bottle opening to get the water to come out, and he would only drink from near the bottle opening. Towards the end of Gizzy's life, he didn't have that style water bowl either, but he continued to paw at the bowl. In addition, his eyes were starting to fail him; so, he couldn't see the water as well. I have a feeling Punkin copied his pawing without realizing what he was doing, as Punkin never had that type of water bowl. I suppose, with his blue eyes, Punkin may have difficulty seeing the water, as well.
Anyway, I didn't end up needing to give him water with a syringe, which is a good thing. I don't think he would have liked that! I leave a bowl in the sink now, and he drinks from it. If he paws at it, it just goes down the drain. I use to flavor his water with the gravy you can buy to add to the food to make it enticing, but it got old quick. I did switch his food. I searched and read many, many food labels. I found Blue Buffalo makes a "Healthy Weight" food that is high in fiber. It is the highest in fiber I could find. And believe me, I read a lot of labels to find out! It comes in an orange bag. I told my vet and wrote the brand and name of the food down for her because she had another cat with the same problem.

Silver Mittens

Silver Mittens was a black and tan tabby with white markings on her feet, chest and belly and silver tipped hair. She had gorgeous green eyes. She was the second largest of the kittens weighing in at about 16 pounds. She had markings around her eyes that made her appear to be wearing eye liner. When she looked at you, she always gave you her bedroom eyes. She had a very sweet personality.
One day, I noticed she began eating a little less than normal. Over the next several days, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary except her eating less. Within the week, she went from eating less to not eating at all. I scheduled an appt with the vet.
The vet thought maybe she had a bug and gave me some amoxicillin. I tried to hand feed her to make sure she ate. Nothing. I called the vet again in a couple days to let them know there was no improvement.
They had me bring her back to run some blood work. Her red blood count was almost non-existent. Seriously. He should be the test tube with her blood separated. There may have been a small drop of red cells at the very bottom of the tube. He said she was extremely anemic. Well, that was obvious. He suggested cancer, but before we had a chance to figure that out for sure, we had a secondary disease take hold... cirrhosis of the liver, better known in kitty world as fatty liver disease. He ran some more tests for Feline AIDS and Feline Leukemia. All the tests came back negative.

We were now trying to figure out what was wrong with her and had to deal with the fatty liver disease. We knew this illness... Misty passed away from it. I knew I didn't have much time. Misty died within 2 weeks.

I desperately tried to get Mittens to eat while trying to figure out what made her sick in the first place. I never did find out what she became ill with, but as I said, it is believed she probably had cancer.

I said when Misty passed away from this dreaded disease, I would never let another critter suffer like she did. I was beside myself. I still couldn't bring myself to have Mittens euthanized. I prayed for guidance. I prayed, I prayed and I prayed. As a last ditch effort, I brought Mittens to another vet for a second opinion. When they examined her, they, too, came to the conclusion it was probably cancer, but in her condition... about 2 weeks into fatty liver disease, there was nothing they could do. They said they could only recommend euthanization. I said I would have to think about it. I cradled her in my arms and brought her home. I spent all afternoon and evening with her. She stayed close, but she was restless. She wanted to lay on the floor; so, I let her. I laid down beside her. She hardly meowed at all. A couple times she may have whimpered a little, if a cat can whimper. I curled up beside her, and she beside me. We stayed like that until just after 11pm when she finally drew her last breath. Her body went limp and she passed away.

The first of The Five Kittens was gone... Mittens passed away May 19th, 2008 at a little after 11pm.

Her death changed everything.

I no longer rely on one vet. I no longer wait to see if they get better.
When any of the cats stop eating, I give them 1 day. On the 2nd day, they go to the vet.
I always have more than one vet. I do not rely on one to "fit" them in. I will keep calling vets until I find one who will see them...now!